


Here to Relive Your Darkest Moments

by ADreamIsASoftPlaceToLand



Category: The Penumbra Podcast
Genre: Birthdays!, Gen, I love that that's an official tag, Junoverse | Juno Steel Universe, Rita is a Good Friend (Penumbra Podcast), it's not just Juno's birthday, it's true, which means Juno is not having a good day
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-27
Updated: 2019-12-27
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:47:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21985051
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ADreamIsASoftPlaceToLand/pseuds/ADreamIsASoftPlaceToLand
Summary: Yesterday was Juno's birthday.
Relationships: Rita & Juno Steel
Comments: 1
Kudos: 45





	Here to Relive Your Darkest Moments

**Author's Note:**

> written for the prompt "you should have called me" for @celsidebottom on tumblr

“BooooooooosssssssssssSSSS!” 

Juno groans and lays his head on his arms on his desk. His hangover from the night before is worse than usual, and his head feels like it’s been submerged underwater. He tolerates- even _likes_ Rita most days because she’s so damn competent, but he just doesn’t have the energy for her today. Her perky cheer and relentless optimism feels like rubbing salt in a wound. 

He hears the swishing of fabric and then there’s a gentle thud on the desk next to his head. He looks up and sees a glass of water and a bottle of painkillers, and gives Rita a begrudgingly grateful look, and she beams. “Gee, Boss, you look _real_ awful today. And why didn’tcha _tell_ me yesterday was your birthday??" 

Juno feels sick, and he’s not entirely sure it’s from the hangover anymore. “‘m not really a birthday kinda gal, Rita. Not many happy memories of birthdays.” 

“Well, boss, you shoulda called me! No one should be alone on their birthday, and I might not be very good at makin’ cake but I’m _real_ good at makin’ popcorn and really on a cozy movie night that’s all ya need. Well. That and some salmon snacks but I know you don’t really like those.” She picks up the glass and calls back over her shoulder as she bounds out of his office towards their little kitchenette break room. “You don’t have any plans tonight, right, boss?” 

Juno hesitates. He could make up some excuse, he knows she wouldn’t believe him - they haven’t known each other for that long, maybe a year or two now, but she has an uncanny knack of seeing through his deflections. He also knows, though, that if he _did_ lie, said he had plans, that he didn’t want to spend the night watching a movie with her, she wouldn’t push. She’d be disappointed of course, but she’d let it go. She’d let him go. 

He knows she’s right though, it’s another terribly annoying knack of hers. He hates it most of the time, especially when it’s about him and his self-destructive tendencies. He’d been planning on spending his night wallowing in the bottom of a glass again tonight, but honestly? He likes Rita. He thinks she’s good for him. He’s not quite ready to admit that to _her_ yet, but he’s starting to be ready to admit it to himself. She probably already knows anyway. 

He shrugs and she beams again. “Great! Rrrrrrrrrrrita’s on the case!”

“What case, Rita? We don’t have a case. I’m not taking any _cases_ right now.” He asks, eyeing her warily. 

“Operation: Cheer Up Mista Steel!!” 

Juno makes a show of groaning and lowering his head back down to his desk, but it’s mostly to hide the fact that he’s biting back a watery smile. “Can’t wait.”

A hand pats him gently on the back, and for once he doesn’t flinch away from the sudden contact. “Happy Birthday, Mista Steel.”

**Author's Note:**

> i'm @shorter-than-her-tbr-pile on tumblr if you'd like to come yell at me!


End file.
